Aegis
Aegis is a multinational research initiative that was founded jointly by scientists from the Federation, Empire, and Alliance. The organization's goal is to pool the three superpowers' scientific expertise to gather further intelligence on the Thargoids and coordinate all future research.[1] Aegis is represented by five minor factions: Aegis Research, Aegis Core, Aegis Acropolis, Aegis Vanguard, and Aegis Defense. Aegis Research's headquarters is Donar's Oak in Delphi. Aegis Core is based out of Dantec Enterprise in the Socho system, but also operates the Eagle Eye array from Sol. The Aegis flagships Acropolis and Vanguard are controlled by Aegis Acropolis and Aegis Vanguard, respectively. Lastly, Aegis Defense controls the Megaships sent to respond to systems experiencing an Incursion. History Founding and early activities The formation of Aegis was announced by Professor Alba Tesreau at a press conference in the Sorbago system on August 4, 3303. With all three superpowers providing financial backing, Aegis established a research outpost of its own in the Pleiades Nebula: the Ocellus station Donar's Oak in the Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55 system, which was later renamed Delphi.[1] On September 21, 3303, following the destruction of a Federal fleet in the Pleiades Sector IR-W D1-55 system by Thargoids, the three superpowers widened Aegis' remit to focus on defence in addition to research. The organization's budget was also dramatically increased.[2] Project Parity That same day, Aegis also announced that it had recruited the Engineers Liz Ryder and Professor Palin to develop new offensive and defensive technologies. Palin's project, designed AG-0001, was a scanner intended to provide meaningful data on Thargoid ships. Ryder's project, designated AG-0002, was a missile launcher that was calibrated to damage the Thargoids. Both Engineers issued a request for Thargoid materials to help them complete their devices.[3] On September 28, the devices, formally named the AX Missile Rack and AX Xeno Scanner, were made available at military, high-tech, and industrial planetary bases across human space.[4][5] Aegis' military liason Admiral Aden Tanner also announced a second initiative to develop anti-Thargoid weapons, which supported the production of AG-0003.[6][7] The second campaign was successful and produced the AX Multi-cannon.[8] On October 5, 3303, Professor Tesreau announced a third phase of its anti-Thargoid program to produce AG-0004.[9] On October 6th, Aegis' military liaison Admiral Tanner confirmed that in recent days, Federal, Imperial, and civilian ships alike had been targeted and destroyed by Thargoids, and that the aliens were scanning the wreckage and seizing escape pods. Tanner reaffirmed that Aegis was dedicated to unraveling the Thargoids' motives.[10] The third campaign was successful and produced the Remote Release Flak Launcher.[11] On October 12, it was announced that the fourth phase of Aegis' projects was being overseen by Engineer Elvira Martuuk, who revealed her plans for a device that would protect human ships from the Thargoids' immobilization fields.[12] Meanwhile, an Aegis spokesperson noted that as well as adapting their defenses to human weapons technology, the Thargoids were also rapidly adapting to human strategies and tactics.[13] The fourth campaign was successful and produced the Shutdown Field Neutraliser.[14] https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/File:Aegis_AX_Xeno_Scanner.png AX Xeno Scanner https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/File:Aegis_AX_Missile_Rack.png AX Missile Rack https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/File:Aegis_AX_Multi-cannon.png AX Multi-cannon https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/File:Aegis_Remote_Release_Flak_Launcher.png Remote Release Flak Launcher https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/File:Aegis_Shutdown_Field_Neutraliser.png Shutdown Field Neutraliser Infrastructure expansion https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/File:Artemis-Lodge-station-in-Celaeno.pngArtemis Lodge in Celaeno Following the withdrawal of Federal and Imperial forces from the Pleiades Nebula, ending the cold war over meta-alloys, Aegis planned to establish over 20 new orbital outposts in the coming months to consolidate their presence and bolster their research and defense capabilities. Cavalieri in Electra and Goya Landing in HIP 16753 were the first two of these new stations to be built.[15] Warnings On October 27, as losses of Federal Farragut Battle Cruisers and Imperial Majestic Class Interdictors continued to mount, Admiral Tanner noted that although recent developments like the Shutdown Field Neutraliser had proven effective in protecting conventional spacecraft from Thargoid attacks, difficulties had been encountered in adapting the technology to larger spacecraft. As a result of capital ships' continued vulnerability, Tanner warned that deploying such vessels to protect stations and outposts was not a viable defensive strategy against Thargoids for the time being.[16] Operation Andronicus On November 2, 3303, Aegis launched Operation Andronicus, a military operation intended to curb Thargoid aggression in the Pleiades Nebula. Admiral Tanner stated that Aegis would be offering substantial monetary rewards to independent pilots for confirmed Thargoid kills.[17] The campaign concluded a week later and was declared a success that delivered a strategic blow to the Thargoid presence in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55. As Tanner explained, "The operation's success proves that small ships, when piloted by seasoned Commanders, are our best hope of addressing the Thargoid threat, at least for the present. Every pilot who took part in this initiative has my sincere gratitude."[18] Further advancements and research On November 10, 3303, a Faulcon DeLacy representative announced that it had teamed up with Aegis to produce an anti-Thargoid variant of the Taipan fighter, the Taipan AX1, which would be available for purchase beginning on November 13. Engineer Barr Winters explained that the new Taipan variant was equipped with two enhanced AX Multi-cannons to optimize its effectiveness against Thargoid vessels.[19] On November 23, Aegis announced a second military strike focusing on Thargoids in the Electra system. This operation had two goals: to reduce the Thargoid presence in Electra, and to collect additional Thargoid materials for the production of upscaled anti-Thargoid weapons.[20] The campaign was a success, and class 3 versions of the AX Missile Rack and AX Multi-cannon were made available at military outposts.[21] On December 2, Aegis announced a large-scale expansion of its research division through the addition of 25 laboratories in starports throughout human space. Most of these labs were installed in the stations built under Aegis's prior infrastructure expansion in the Pleiades.[22] By December 8, Aegis reported that the new research initiative had already achieved some early successes. Researchers were focusing on Thargoid Probes and Thargoid Sensors, and had made headway in understanding how the Thargoids stored and transmitted information. Study of Thargoid star maps also revealed that the Thargoids categorised geographical data differently from humans.[23] On the frontlines Thargoid attacks on Aegis labs Following the breakthroughs, three stations participating in Aegis' initiative were attacked by Thargoids on December 14: Liman Legacy in HIP 16753, The Oracle in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Titan's Daughter in Taygeta. Previously undocumented Medusa Variant Thargoid Interceptors neutralized the stations' defenses with shutdown fields before launching a devastating barrage of firepower that left the stations crippled and dangerously unstable. Emergency protocols were activated and Pilots Federation Rescue Vessels were deployed to evacuate pilots and civilians.[24][25] Authorities in Taygeta later issued a statement saying that the situation was under control, and urged the public not to panic. While it was not clear why the Thargoids had targeted these three stations specifically and not others, Aegis confirmed it was investigating.[26] Additional attacks occurred over the following weeks; these were also perpetrated by Medusa Interceptors, and also targeted stations participating in Aegis' initiative.[27][28] A starport personnel member at Kipling Orbital noted that the Thargoids seemed to be sweeping the region and slowly moving towards the Core Systems,[29] and Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval later confirmed that Aegis was investigating this development as well.[30] On February 24, 3304, Aegis finally confirmed that the Thargoids had been specifically targeting Aegis laboratories, and announced that defensive measures would be increased at all stations where the organisation had a presence. Professor Tesreau surmised that the Thargoids were actively trying to prevent Aegis from analyzing Thargoid artefacts, and speculated that a long-term solution might be to build new laboratories in secret locations such as bunkers and asteroids. Tesreau insisted Aegis's research was critical to understanding the Thargoids in the hopes of one day establishing a rapport with them and ending the conflict.[31] Station attacks seemingly ceased after February 22, when the Aegis labs at Armstrong Enterprise in Bhal and Beaufoy Vision in Nauni were targeted. Both systems were located well within the frontier of the Core Systems, and were also the two most distant systems from the Pleiades that had hosted Aegis labs. Beginning on February 27, however, pilots began reporting encounters with groups of hostile Thargoid Scouts in other frontier systems such as Umbila and Huveang De, indicating that the Thargoid conflict was far from over. Additional countermeasures On January 12, 3304, Aegis announced that it had made new Decontamination Limpets available at military, high-tech, refinery, industrial, and extraction planetary bases. These new limpets were designed to counter the caustic damage inflicted by Thargoid Interceptor missiles. Previously, caustic contamination could only be purged from ships by overheating them to a dangerous level, a risky tactic during combat. An Aegis spokesperson described the device's function: "As we know, the Thargoids' enzyme missiles are particularly dangerous because of the caustic damage they inflict. The decontamination limpet is designed to address this by stripping the corrosive enzymes from a ship's hull while also performing limited repairs."[32] Following Ram Tah's breakthroughs with Guardian technologies, Professor Tesreau announced on March 7 that she had contacted Ram Tah to request access to his data. With the revelation that the Guardians had once fought and won a war against the Thargoids, it was hoped that Guardian research could provide a deeper understanding of the Thargoids and their motives in attacking human space.[33] Eagle Eye On March 9, 3304, Aegis announced a new operation to counter the Thargoids. The initiative, called Eagle Eye, involved placing six orbital surveillance installations in systems around the Pleiades, namely HIP 17225, HIP 17692, HIP 17892, HR 1185, Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, and Pleiades Sector KC-V c2-4, in order to monitor known Thargoid Surface Sites and collect data on Thargoid behavior outside of combat zones.[34] By March 16, Aegis reported that Eagle Eye was already producing results. According to Admiral Tanner, the installations were able to track fluctuations in transmissions originating from Thargoid Surface Sites, and that these transmissions pointed to specific locations in human space which were likely future Thargoid attack targets. Tanner urged independent pilots to investigate a new set of signals detected by Eagle Eye to help thwart the Thargoids' plans.[35] The Purge of Socho On March 15, 3304, Aegis Core announced an anti-Thargoid campaign in the Socho system. The operation's goal was not only to expel Thargoid forces from Socho, but to obtain specific technological components from Thargoid Interceptors and Scouts for comparison research.[36] The operation concluded successfully.[37] Escalations and revelations A number of developments occurred on March 22, 3304. Aegis deployed two military flagship Megaships, the Acropolis and the Vanguard, to the Irandan and HIP 21559 systems respectively, both of which had been identified by Eagle Eye as targets for imminent Thargoid attacks. While HIP 21559 was spared thanks to the heavy presence of independent pilots, Glazkov Terminal in Irandan was hit, making it the first station be attacked since February 22. Later that same day, Aegis published a report containing significant insights into the Thargoids that had been gleaned with the help of Ram Tah and his Guardian research. The findings indicated that the Thargoids had warred with the Guardians because of the latter's perceived encroachment on territory that the Thargoids had seeded with Alien Structures millennia earlier. Despite attempts by the Guardians to communicate with the Thargoids, the Thargoids' survival instincts were so strong that they refused to tolerate any potential threat and continued hostilities until the Guardians eventually expelled them using automated war machines. Professor Alba Tesreau commented that the Guardians' situation mirrored humanity's own: the Thargoids had long ago seeded territory that humans had unknowingly expanded into, and the current conflict was essentially a dispute over territory and resources. Tesreau asserted that the next step the Thargoids would take would be to aggressively mine mineral resources. Ram Tah noted that these revelations finally provided some answers about the Thargoids' overall goals and could ultimately aid humanity in the conflict.[38] On March 29, Admiral Tanner announced that Eagle Eye had detected no new signals from Thargoid Surface Sites, which he believed indicated a brief reprieve in the Thargoids' attack plans. The Acropolis and Vanguard remained stationed in Irandan and HIP 21559 while Aegis awaited further developments.[39] Tanner elaborated on the purpose of Aegis's new flagships on March 30, explaining that they would serve as command centers for anti-Thargoid operations and that they would be periodically moved to wherever they could be strategically effective.[40] Rising controversy Criticism On April 5, Aegis became the target of criticism from Princess Aisling Duval, who accused the organization of moving too slowly and lacking a clear strategy for combating the Thargoids. While her viewpoint garnered some support, Federal and Alliance media outlets roundly derided her statements as a ploy for attention and cited multiple examples of Aegis's recent achievements.[41] On April 12, more prominent figures expressed measured support for Princess Duval's statements, including Senator Pal Vespasian, Alliance Defence Force Commodore Riri McAllister, and journalist Jast Fernández. They noted that Aegis's victories thus far were not enough to assuage public fears of an imminent Thargoid conquest and suggested Aegis should be more transparent about its long-term plans.[42] On May 9, Admiral Tanner responded to the widespread disquiet over the Thargoids' advance into the Core Systems. Tanner dismissed reports that the Thargoids were invading en masse, insisting that no full-scale invasion was occurring and deploying capital fleets was unncessary. He urged the public to remain calm and thanked independent pilots for helping to halt the Thargoids' progress.[43] Anarchy in Socho On May 30, in a stunning development, Aegis Core was ousted from control of its headquarters in the Socho system by the Socho Gold Raiders criminal faction. A courier managed to escape the system with a message from Dr. Mia Valencourt of Aegis Core detailing the attack and calling for assistance. According to Dr. Valencourt, the Socho Gold Raiders had become convinced that Aegis was constructing a superweapon, and crushed the system's security forces by luring them into a trap using a falsified Thargoid signal. Professor Alba Tesreau denounced the attack, noting that Aegis Core was conducting vital anti-Thargoid research, and issued a plea for aid from the galactic community.[44] Continued efforts Starport restoration drives With numerous stations still undergoing repairs after Thargoid attacks, Aegis Research and Aegis Core launched simultaneous public initiatives on May 31, 3304 to collect and distribute construction materials to damaged stations in the Pleiades Nebula and Core Systems, respectively. Senior Engineer Lilith Galloway took charge of the Aegis Research campaign at The Oracle in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55, while Chief Administrator Carter Armstrong led the Aegis Core campaign at Dantec Enterprise in Socho.[45][46] Both campaigns were successful.[47][48] Building on success On June 21, 3304, Aegis declared that the Thargoids were retreating from the Core Systems and had been pushed back to their original beachhead of Bhal. Admiral Tanner thanked Commanders for their efforts in defending the Core Systems, but noted that while Thargoid incursions had been reversed in many regions, the Thargoids remained entrenched in the Pleiades Nebula.[49] Meanwhile, Aegis Core and Aegis Research announced that three stations attacked by the Thargoids in recent months have completed repairs. Armstrong Enterprise in Bhal, Beaufoy Vision in Nauni, and Reed's Rest in Merope were restored to full functionality.[50] Aegis also announced plans to construct a new military installation in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55 in response to the recent criminal incursion in Socho. The new installation, named The Sentinel, would allow Aegis to focus its efforts on the Thargoids without fear of further disruption.[51] The campaign was successful.[52] On June 28, Aegis announced that it had supplied Technology Brokers with additional funding, resources, and manufacturing equipment, allowing them to reduce the cost of their services. According to Senior Engineer Henrik de Lacerda, the move was an act of appreciation for the independent pilots working to defend the Core Systems, and intended to increase access to Tech Broker modules in order to improve humanity's overall combat effectiveness against the Thargoids.[53] Thargoid counterattacks On June 28, Aegis reported that Eagle Eye had detected a massive surge in Thargoid transmissions. Admiral Tanner asserted that the previous week's lull in activity in the Core Systems must have been only a brief delay while the Thargoids regrouped and summoned reinforcements from the Pleiades. Tanner issued an emergency call for aid for Garay Terminal in Deciat, which Eagle Eye indicated was the Thargoids' main target. A transmission from an unknown Commander operating in the Deciat system also indicated that a new type of Thargoid Scout was present among the invading force.[54] Meanwhile, independent pilots discovered a surface settlement called Dominic's Corner on planet 12 A in Pleiades Sector GW-W c1-15 that had been attacked by Thargoids, one of several such sites. The location was found by triangulating a signal received by three listening posts in Maia. According to logs recovered from the site, Dominic's Corner was an independent manufacturing facility that had been contracted by Aegis to produce anti-Thargoid weaponry. Following a visit by an Aegis representative who identified himself only as "Mr. Black", the facility received a message over an encrypted channel from Mr. Black warning of an imminent attack and urging staff to evacuate; one employee, Secretary Miller, remained behind to dispose of confidential material so that it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. When the attack came, it was not raiders as expected, but a Thargoid Interceptor, which proceeded to demolish the facility until it was driven off by the sudden arrival of a contingent of Federation ships.[55] Pleiades rescue operation On August 9, 3304, Aegis Research launched a search-and-rescue initiative in conjunction with local system authorities in the Pleiades Nebula to recover the escape pods of Thargoid attack survivors and provide them with adequate food. Superintendent Maria Poulsen stated, "System authorities in the Pleiades have been channelling their resources into combating the Thargoid menace. As a result, search-and-rescue initiatives have been neglected, but we are determined to plug that gap. That means a lot of civilians rescued from escape pods, which also means a lot of hungry mouths to feed, so we'll need to bolster our current food stocks as a precautionary measure." Pilots were requested to deliver the escape pods and goods to Donar's Oak in Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55.[56] Superintendent Poulsen subsequently confirmed that the operation was a success: "The number of rescued survivors we have received is truly fantastic. We have also received enough food stocks to ensure that they're well taken care of, before moving them to dedicated refugee centres."[57] Aegis Core relocates On August 30, in response to the repeated disruption of Aegis Core's operations in Socho over previous months and the ongoing deterioration of conditions there, Federal President Zachary Hudson announced that Aegis Core would be relocated from Socho to Sol, where it could be better protected. President Hudson underscored the announcement with a clear warning: "Aegis has been charged with defending humanity, and any attempt to undermine it is nothing less than an act of treason."[58] Thargoid Sensors neutralized On November 29, 3304, Senior Engineer Henrik de Lacerda of Aegis Research announced a breakthrough in Meta-Alloy research that allowed extremely small quantities of Meta-Alloys to provide sufficient protection against Thargoid Sensor-related interference, and arranged for shipments of Meta-Alloys to be distributed to affected stations. As Thargoid Sensors ceased to cause technological damage to stations, the sale of Thargoid commodities in general was legalized, allowing them to be traded in public markets.[59][60] Protecting Ram Tah On November 30, Professor Alba Tesreau announced that Aegis had stationed a security force in the Meene system to provide additional protection for Engineer Ram Tah and his ongoing development of Guardian-human hybrid technologies. The deployment came in the wake of a series of mercenary attacks on Ram Tah's Phoenix Base organized by a cabal of rogue Sirius Corporation junior naval officers. The attacks coincided with Sirius Corp CEO Li Yong-Rui's public entreaties to Ram Tah to work together on hybrid technology production, causing many to believe that the attacks may have been a deliberate attempt to intimidate Ram Tah into sharing his work with Sirius. Sirius Corp did not respond to the news of the Aegis deployment to Meene, but it was rumored that Li Yong-Rui had withdrawn his offer to Ram Tah. Professor Tesreau emphasized that Ram Tah's products were invaluable in the Thargoid conflict, and as such Aegis had a vested interest in protecting the Engineer's operation and independence.[61] Incursions and divisions Aegis Defense Aegis debuted a new branch, Aegis Defense, on December 27, 3304 following the Thargoids' most devastating attack yet. Five systems were beset by Incursions, resulting in simultaneous attacks against five stations: Behnken Gateway in Wuli, Bethke Ring in Werapana, Cavalieri in Electra, May Gateway in Kupol Vuh, and Mendez Terminal in Jormbu. With the Acropolis and Vanguard either missing or withdrawn, Aegis instead deployed five new Megaships to the afflicted systems to serve as additional bulwarks for independent pilots fighting the Thargoids in AX Conflict Zones. In addition, GalNet began posting the automatically-updated Thargoid Activity Report, which tracked Thargoid activity levels in systems experiencing an Incursion alongside repair progress for previously damaged stations. Cracks in the Empire Meanwhile, cracks had begun to appear within the Empire, as the hardliner group Nova Imperium gained supporters among the public and the Imperial Senate by espousing a strategy of isolation and disengagement from the Federation and Alliance as the best way to survive the Second Thargoid War. Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval refused to publicly address Nova Imperium and the appearance of Hadrian Augustus Duval, a long-lost grandson of the late Emperor Hengist Duval who had been presented as Nova Imperium's figurehead. Both Federal President Zachary Hudson and Alliance Prime Minister Edmund Mahon spoke out against the rise of Nova Imperium before their respective legislatures on December 29. Mahon expressed concern about the possible cessation of inter-superpower cooperation, but Hudson took a bolder stance and asserted that the Federation would be forced to intervene for the sake of the war effort against the Thargoids should Nova Imperium come to power and halt the Empire's contributions to Aegis. Independent sources confirmed that Federal Navy resupplies had increased in frequency, and Federal fleets were conducting exercises in regions bordering Imperial territory.[62] Fleet Flagships Aegis has two military Megaships that serve as flagships for the purpose of coordinating anti-Thargoid operations at various key locations: Acropolis and Vanguard. These vessels are periodically relocated to strategic systems.[40] Other Vessels Beginning December 27, 3304, Aegis began deploying multiple Megaships under the banner of Aegis Defense to systems affected by Thargoid Incursions. These vessels remain in a system until an Incursion has been completely repelled, and then depart. Ship names appear to be randomly generated from a pool of names plus a four-character designation (Bastille WS34, Warlord AR75, etc.). Base names used for Aegis Megaships include: *Abraxas *Ares *Artemis *Bastille *Crucible *Herald *Inquisitor *Liberator *Messenger *Paimon *Saviour *Vanguard *Warden *Warlord Members *Professor Alba Tesreau, Head of Research *Admiral Aden Tanner, Chief Military Liaison *Dr. Mia Valencourt, Aegis Core Scientist *Carter Armstrong, Aegis Core Chief Administrator *Lilith Galloway, Aegis Research Senior Engineer *Henrik de Lacerda, Aegis Research Senior Engineer *"Mr. Black", Aegis liaison to Dominic's Corner *Maria Poulsen, Aegis Research Superintendent